This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for inventorying and sequencing telephone messages.
Modern telephone answering systems utilize a number of approaches to service peak traffic loads. For example, one approach is to answer ringing calls automatically, to record caller messages, and then to place each call on hold until an operator is available to service the call. Such a system is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,255.
One practical limitation of such systems is that, when placed on hold by an automatic answering machine, callers will remain on hold for only a limited time period. After that period, more and more callers will hang up and terminate the connection. Long holding times can be a major source of caller frustration and dissatisfaction.
A further disadvantage of such systems is that callers are kept on hold while waiting for an available operator. This ties up telephone lines and severely limits the peak traffic that can be handled by the system. For example, if a system has twenty telephone lines, no more than twenty callers can be kept on hold at any one time. Additional callers only receive a busy signal, which can be an additional source of caller frustration.
A second type of answering system records caller messages and then terminates the telephone connection. Recorded messages are then transcribed at a later time and callbacks are made by an operator.
When multiple recording units are used to record caller messages in this second type of system, there is generally no assurance that recorded messages will be transcribed for callback in substantially the same order as that in which they were recorded. For example, an operator may transcribe a large number of messages from one recording unit and then switch to another recording unit. When this is done, the delay between the call and the callback can vary greatly and can become excessively long. Excessive callback delays represent a disadvantage, because an excessive delay can inconvenience callers and can increase the number of callbacks required to reach a caller. If a callback is delayed for an hour, for example, there is often an increased chance that a caller will have left the location from which he originally called.